"You can't be serious." Rubi said. "Assuming we could smuggle 'a bunch' of people away, where could we even take them?"
"Akali. There's a safe haven there, a nonviolent community."
Gaku produced a map and slapped it on the table. It was a beautiful map. It was actually complete, unlike hers which had major port cities and often outdated borders.
"Are we too drunk to be planning this?" Rubi suggested. "We could wait 'til tomorrow."
Gaku thought for a moment.
"Nah!"
He pointed to Akali, a large country over the sea to the East of Minami. He traced his finger from a port city there over to Kibo.
"We get them to the port here. That's our only obligation, if you accept this job."
"How many people?"
"Twenty confirmed. Fifteen on my ship, five on yours. I can take all twenty, but I wanted to offer."
"How much?"
"One thousand Mingam randyal per passenger."
Rubi did some mental arithmetic in her head quickly.
"What about food for twenty people?"
"They're bringing their own sorghum flour, nuts and dried produce for thirty days, we could be there in twenty. I didn't want to charge them any more than we had to."
"Gaku," Rubi said, rubbing her brow. "Can we talk about this in the morning? Right now, I just want to go to bed."
Gaku's eyes widened and he flushed red.
"Should we leave you two alone for a while?" Udi asked, reappearing suddenly in Rubi's peripheral vision.
"No not like that!" Rubi protested the instant she processed the joke. "I mean to my own room, by myself."
"And lock Mimi out?"
"No, Kagemaru, she can come because she doesn't make fun of me when I'm drunk."
In the distance, a metal clang rang out, followed by another, and another, the sound coming closer with each ring. Each shopkeeper hit a metal pan with a spoon or similar, followed by the shop next to them. A wave of sound travelled down the tunnel, the signal for sun up, and to tell them to close the vents in the tunnel ceiling.
"Back to the tavern." Zodwa said solemnly, looking down the tunnel. The safe place under the city had come to an end, like it always did. People redressed into their modest overclothes, ready to return to their lives above on the surface. The shops were packed away and before long there was no trace of a secret market left at all, save for some footprints and smoldering torches.
Rubi walked heavily back to the well door, dreading the climb back up the ladder in her intoxicated state. She wondered if the ropes were swaying or if her mind was. A brilliant orange sun peeked over the horizon, stinging her eyes and casting long, eerie shadows. She desperately wanted to collapse into bed. Everyone but Mimi looked worse for wear and, in Take'Ichi's case, a little wilted.
She leaned on her friend, Mimi barely affected by her body weight. Nothing new.
"Mimi," she said quietly. "Should we do it? Take this job?"
"It would be both moral and rewarding." she replied. "Perhaps sleep on it? It's your decision, Captain."
"Don't call me Captain. It doesn't suit me at all. If I had some genuine leadership skills, like Gaku, maybe I could accept it."
"You are responsible for the ship, that makes you a Captain."
"Alright then, Quartermaster."
"It is important to remember that Gaku has a very different background to you. He has had a lot more experience at sea and commanding a vessel. In time, you will be just as confident."
"Aw, thanks Mimi."
The two crews hauled themselves up the tavern stairs as quietly as they could. Rubi waved clumsily to her friends as Mimi hauled her into their room. She lay on her bed, which felt especially soft and cosy, as the purple haired golem pulled her shoes off.
"Thank you." she murmured, ready to fall asleep.
"You are welcome. I will check on you in six hours."
"Thanks, Mimi. You're the best."
The six hours flew by and soon enough Rubi woke up feeling barely rested and hungry. She lay there for a few minutes, contemplating getting up but feeling too groggy to do so. She wondered when the cramps would hit her since she missed a dose of medication. Alcohol could numb many things but it was as temporary as anything else.
Rubi sat up on the bed eventually, wrapping the blanket around her. No pain yet, just the usual discomfort. The little medicine dish on her bedside table was empty but a large cup of tea was steaming there. Mimi, always planning ahead. She took a sip, tasting a good amount of honey mixed into the bitter root tea.
Mimi opened the door when Rubi was about half way through her drink. She carried a small container of new pressed pills, some split in half.
"I prepared the new medicine. How are you feeling?"
"Just a bit hungover. My pain is alright right now."
"That's good. We won't have to try the new pain medicine yet. This is the Lion's Foot. The sooner you can start this the better. Taking one of the old pain medicines should be helpful for the lesser pains."
"Alright. I'll take them with some breakfast. Is anyone else awake?"
"A few people from the Wanderlust. Kai and Sama as well."
"They're still here?" Rubi said, surprised. They had a lot of distance to cover, why were they still hanging around? At least she would be able to say a proper goodbye before she left.
She finally got up and dressed to head downstairs. The air smelled like honey, flatbread and porridge. She paid some small coins to the kitchen and ordered some bread, butter and fruit preserves.
There was some space near Udi, Artair and Bradach. Artair and Bradach were cousins, both pale and with round, light eyes. Their hair was straight and fine, warm blond and coppery red respectively. The family resemblance was strongest in their pointed, crooked noses and the thousands of pea-sized freckles that melded together into a pseudo-tan. North Sea Islanders like them never seemed to suffer hangovers, or they were just very good at hiding it.
"G' morning, d'earc." Artair said. Rubi did not know what d'earc meant, but it had a nice ring to it. He waved his ale mug at her. "Hair o' the dog that bit ya?" he offered.
"No thanks, Art. The esteemed Doctor Mimi has instructed me to take my medication."
"Oh, aye. She'd know best."
The first mouthful of food after drinking was always the one Rubi dreaded. Would the nausea hit as soon as the bread touched her tongue or would nothing happen at all? She chewed. Nothing. She breathed a sigh of relief and dabbed some butter and sweet berry jam onto the dry bread.
In the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of blue and, before she knew it, Sama suddenly appeared at the end of the table. Bradach jumped out of his skin so hard he kicked the table with his knee, forcing him to smother what Rubi could only assume was a North Sea Islander swear word unsuitable for the ears of a child.
"Sama, what are you up to?" Rubi asked.
Sama smiled and cheekily showed her four gold coins in her palm.
"Sama, you're going to get caught eventually!" Rubi whispered seriously, looking around to figure out who the child had robbed.
She just giggled, pleased with herself. Kai trudged down the stairs sleepily, his hair a dishevelled mess. Sama skipped over to him and dropped the coins into his hand. He pocketed three of them and proceeded to order a greasy breakfast.
"You should do your own pickpocketing if you need money." Rubi said as Kai sat near her.
"Well, yeah, I could," Kai replied, talking with his mouth full. "But Sama has an advantage. She can slip around much better than I can. She's small. And she can do this thing where people who've never seen her before can't see her 'til she lets them."
"W-what?" Rubi stammered.
"That's pretty much it. People just look over her like she's not there. She can only do it until she makes herself known though."
"Can she hide from me?"
"No, she needed your attention when you found us. Strangers she can stay hidden from."
"And that's how she's getting you all this money?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"That's... insane."
"Insanely convenient." Kai proposed. "For me."
"I don't want to be there when you get caught." Rubi said, rubbing her brow. "How long are you staying here for? Aren't you going to find the blacksmith that can make your weapon?"
"Yeah about that..." he said slowly. "So there's a huge, and I mean huge, amount of desert that Sama and I would have to cross if we went up Minami and passed Migiue to get to where I need to go. It's not ideal. So I was wondering if we could jump aboard with you again."
"How do you know if we're even going the right way for you to hitch a ride?" Rubi asked.
Kai pulled a face and clicked his tongue.
"Your friend Kiramaru is very talkative when he drinks. And loud. Sama heard him through the wall, talking about you all going to the sanctuary in Akali. The Fire Tsuki all live just across the bay to the East, in Daikoku. If you aren't going that far, Sama and I will just make our own way there from Akali."
Rubi pondered for a moment. They had money to pay their way and would likely be stealing more. If she was already considering taking five passengers, she could probably handle two more. If all else failed, Gaku could always take two more since his ship was larger and better ventilated than her submersible.
"Let me think about it."
"Thank you, Captain Rubi." he said with a grin.
Exactly how much eavesdropping had Sama been doing last night? She chewed her mouthful of bread slowly. Kai could be an asset at sea. He could control the sea waters to some degree and that could be extremely helpful during a quick getaway. She looked at him again, talking quietly to Sama and coaxing her to eat something from his plate. She kept turning her nose up at anything offered. Rubi tried to think if she had ever seen Sama eat something.
Had she even had a cup of tea with them on the Disaster? Rubi could not recall, it had meant nothing at the time. Something was off.
"You need to have something." Kai encouraged her quietly. "How will you grow tall like me?"
"I don't want to be tall." Sama pouted. "I want to be this small forever."
"You won't be seven forever. You need to get a bit bigger each year." Kai looked over to Rubi, looking for something to say. "It wouldn't be a bad thing to be tall like Rubi, would it?"
Sama shook her head.
"No."
"And you like Rubi, don't you?"
"Yes."
"So don't be tall like me. Be tall like Rubi."
Sama looked at her now, and Rubi felt the pressure of saying the right thing in front of an impressionable mind.
"I think Kai is right." she said. "You need to grow up strong. One day, you might be looking after him."
"I will!" Sama said immediately. "I will look after Kai! He's my favourite person I ever met."
With that, she picked up a fried slice of meat and began to munch on it. Kai made eye contact with Rubi again and mouthed "thank you".
Rubi thought about what it was like to be seven years old. Things were simple, as it should be. It was a time before she had realised how caged she felt in the palace grounds, when everything was an adventure. Her brother was her world and wherever he went she was his shadow. Even though the age gap was smaller for her and Hiiro than it was for Sama and Kai, she could see herself in the way she idolised him.
Even though her own childhood was far from normal, it had to be harder on Sama to be growing up on the move in a dangerous world. No wonder she had learned to steal, it was to support the one person supporting her. However, her gift of not being seen by strangers worked, it was ideal for stealing to survive.
Sama cleared half of Kai's plate rather quickly and left the table to look out at the street through the misty glass windows of the tavern.
Rubi washed down her medication and went back to thinking about if she would take Kai and Sama with them. A risk of sailing anywhere was being at the whim of the ocean. Sometimes the weather could turn on you with little warning. The benefit of having one or two Water Tsuki at sea was obvious. Kai had already settled the waters of the dock when they made port. How much Sama could do was still unclear.
"If we take you with us," Rubi said to Kai as he mopped up the grease on his plate with a chunk of bread. "You know you will have to pull your weight. My ship can run with a small crew, but more hands is always preferable."
Kai nodded.
"I'm happy to do what you ask," he replied. "I can't say I'll learn everything on the spot, but when it comes to controlling water, I'm your guy."
"How much water can you move at a time?"
"Volume isn't always the best way to look at it. Saltwater and freshwater behave differently for example. Splitting an ocean wave is easier than stopping one raging at you. But I'm adaptable in a tight spot. I don't want to end up adrift again, it is in my interests to do my best to protect the ship."
"Can you afford food for you both over thirty days? Once we set sail, we cannot stop."
"I'll make it work. How soon do you need me to be ready?"
"Gaku wants t' leave early tomorrow mornin'." Artair interjected. "Guards of'en slack off after midnight, it's easier t' slip by 'em."
"People are packin' as we speak." Bradach added.
"Alright." Kai said. "We'll be ready."
"Kai!" Sama called out suddenly. She was peering out of a window, the sound of a scuffle reaching their ears. "Kai something's wrong. There's a man being taken away!"
They rushed to the window to see. A young man was being accosted by two men in helmets and leather breastplates, both adorned with bold blue and gold jabots and matching shoulder pads different from the military police.
The man was soon pushed to the floor, his hands tied behind his back. The policemen then started to lay into him, kicking and punching as he lay defenseless on the floor.
Rubi adjusted her position, trying to find a better spot in the crude glass panel to see him. He looked like he might be a slave. As cloudy as the window was, she could see the man had some kind of pale mark on his face, leading into a white spot in his long, black hair. His hands were splashed with white too.
She recognised it as a condition she had seen back home in Migiue. A non-contagious skin disorder that seemed to pop up at random and rob specific areas of skin and hair of colour, leaving it pinkish or white. Some people were born with completely pale skin, eyes and hair to ordinary looking parents. It was rare, but not unheard of, as the people with it lived normal lives.
"We have to help!" Rubi insisted.
"Rubi, we can't." Gaku said sadly. "We can't be arrested along with him." He sighed. "I know who he is. He helped organise the job we discussed. He's almost blind."
Rubi stared in horror. They were kicking a blind man, restrained on the floor.
"He's been arrested for inciting unrest among the slave class." the tavern keeper said glumly. He had not left the counter, like it was just another sad day to him. "Obviously, someone found out about his plan to run away."
"How do you know?" Rubi asked.
"Those uniforms. Protectors of the Peace are mostly concerned with making sure the slaves are kept in order. They'll take him to the Prison Islands. No trial. He's done for."
"He inspired this rescue, we can't abandon him." Gaku said firmly. "Where will they be holding him until they transport him?"
"The Courthouse, I assume." the tavern keeper said. "The dungeons there always have room for more."
"So we go get him. We break him out." Rubi insisted. "Gaku, we can't leave him behind."
"Of course we go get him." Gaku replied immediately. "We just need a plan before we run into this. We need to wake up the others, meet in my room."
"I'm coming with you." Kai said, picking up Sama and holding her. She had started to sob quietly and hid her face in his shoulder.
"Alright." Gaku decided. "Let's waste no time."
Rubi made a beeline to Kagemaru and Take'Ichi's room. The sprite answered the door.
"Rubi, what's-"
"'Ichi, I need you to get Kage up."
She could see her crewmate over Take'Ichi's shoulder, sleeping on his belly like he always did, his dappled tawny wings folded and held down flat against his body with a long roll of material wrapped many times around his figure. It was uncomfortable and only baggy clothes on top of the bindings could mask them completely. The trick was courtesy of his brother.
"Meet in Gaku's room. I'll get Mimi."
Rubi went to the room she shared with Mimi. She had not seen her for a while, she had probably gone back. She was standing by the window but the curtains were still closed.
"Mimi?" she called out. "Mimi, what are you..."
A cold feeling hit her stomach as she realised the unnatural pose her friend was in. She was frozen, a hand reaching out to the fluttering curtains, one foot slightly raised midstep.
"Mimi?"
No answer. No movement.
"Mimi, are you hurt?"
She crept closer to her motionless friend, gingerly reaching out to touch her shoulder. As soon as she brushed up against her shoulder, a sharp, metallic screech broke the silence for several seconds, forcing Rubi to cover her ears in pain.
As if resuming the motion she had been stuck in, Mimi completed her stride and pulled open the curtain to let in the midday sun.
"Yes, Captain?" Mimi said softly.
Rubi stared for a moment, bewildered and a little scared.
"Are... are you feeling alright?" she asked.
"I feel fine." Mimi replied. "Why do you ask?"
"You were standing by the window but you weren't moving." Rubi explained. The hairs on the back of her neck were bristling, tingling with adrenaline. This was Mimi. Mimi had never made her feel afraid like this before. "Did something happen?"
"I heard a scream for help." Mimi recalled. "I went to check the street and then..." She hesitated, her face blank. "I don't seem to recall."
"Someone was arrested. A guy who's meant to be escaping with us. We all need to meet in Gaku's room to form a plan privately."
Rubi paused for a moment, studying Mimi's smooth, neutral face. The little freckle. The total absence of smile lines or wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. It was just Mimi. The same as always.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" she asked. "You gave me a scare."
"I'll endeavour to find a reason for what you described." Mimi replied. "I apologise for any discomfort caused."
That was just too much. Mimi had never told her she should be sorry when she was sick. She had never seen Mimi 'sick' at all. Rubi pulled her into a tight hug and felt her eyes start to water with a will of their own.
"Don't apologise." she said quietly. "I just want you to be alright. I'll see you in Gaku's room."
"See you soon."
There was a fear coiling around in Rubi's stomach that something could happen to Mimi again once she left the room. Gaku was only a few doors away. She knocked and Zodwa peered out of the door.
"Mimi's on her way." Rubi said. "I just need to talk to Kage for a moment."
"Go for it, he's over there."
The room was a larger one with four beds instead of two, like hers. Gaku and Kiramaru were obviously sharing with two others. At the far end of the room in two animal hide sling chairs, Kiramaru and Kagemaru were deep in conversation but Rubi could not wait.
"Kagemaru, I need to talk to you, quickly." Rubi said quietly, moving to a more private spot.
He excused himself promptly and murmured something about coming right back.
"What's wrong?" he said.
"Upstairs, I found Mimi standing by the window." Rubi explained carefully. "She was frozen in place. I don't know for how long but she was literally stuck. Like a statue."
"Well," Kagemaru frowned.
It was not an angry frown, it was the one he wore when he was thinking hard. It did appear unfriendly to the unfamiliar eye but not everyone can light up a room with a smile.
"She's not exactly alive, is she? Maybe something went wrong in her..."
He made some vague hand gestures that sort of made the shape of Mimi.
"...composition?"
"Like she's wearing down?" Rubi suggested.
"We don't know how she was made, who she was made by, or what she's made of," he said. "She looks human but we know she's not. I can hear you're concerned, I'm concerned too, but we know nothing about what might be going on."
"I don't think she knows either."
Kagemaru patted her arm encouragingly.
"If we can figure it out, you know we'll do anything we can to help her." he assured her.
"I know. I just don't want to lose her."
Rubi saw Take'Ichi finally and flagged him over. He shuffled over, weaving through the steadily filling room.
"I need to tell you something." Rubi began. "Something went wrong with Mimi this morning. She was opening a window and she got stuck in place. Couldn't move."
"Is Mimi alright?" Take'Ichi asked.
"She snapped out of it after a few moments, so we think she's alright for now."
"Is there anything we can do?" the sprite asked. "Can we take her to a golem doctor, like a people doctor but for golems?"
"I don't think those exist, 'Ichi." Kagemaru said, shaking his head.
"Not even where she's from?"
"We don't know that for sure either."
"Is she coming with us tonight?" Take'Ichi asked.
"That's a good point." Kagemaru said solemnly. "Can we risk her having another incident while we're in the middle of danger?"
"We could ask her to wait on the ship and take stock, make sure we're ready to go." Rubi suggested. "Once we rescue this guy and meet the other families at the dock at dawn, we need to go, and go fast."
"Would it help if I stay behind and watch over her?" Take'Ichi offered.
Rubi thought about it.
"I think that might be best. If a fight breaks out, I don't want you there."
"Do you think a fight is going to break out?" Take'Ichi asked nervously.
"If we do it right, no. But I don't want you at risk either."
Mimi was one of the last to join the group, Kai shadowing her with an unusually stern look on his young face. People were in groups of three or four, talking quietly amongst themselves in low voices. They all gathered around a table where Gaku had drawn a rough pencil map of where the prison was in comparison to tavern.
It was a fair trek, further than the entrance to the markets. They could be there within the hour when the streets were the quietest. It was important not to rush and draw attention, and to make a few stops to alert the families fleeing with them to be ready to go promptly before sun up.
"I have a thought." Rubi said. "Sama, the kid with Kai, can open locks. Is it worth the risk of bringing her?"
Gaku frowned, seriously considering it. He looked to Kai, her guardian. Kai shook his head.
"She's a child. It's not worth risking her safety." he replied. "We'll find another way through any locks."
He scanned the room, noticing the clusters of people.
"Who's coming. You three?"
He pointed to Bradach, Artair and Sino-Ji.
"You'll need all the Collectors you can." Sino-Ji said, folding his arms.
"Mimi and Take'Ichi, you two need to have the ship ready to go as soon as possible." Rubi said. "Kagemaru, are you in?"
"Of course," he replied.
"And me." Kiramaru added.
"Vaal, Makzi, Velvel, you're my fastest hands. I need you on the Wanderlust for the getaway too." Gaku instructed.
"I'm going to the jail with you." Kai said firmly. "I can break a lock."
"Let me do the rounds checking on our passengers." Zodwa insisted. "I'll blend in best. It will be suspicious for a foreigner to be jumping between houses in the middle of the night. You lot have to focus on not being seen."
"alright, so me, Rubi, Kage, Kira, Bradach, Artair, Sino-Ji. And Kai." Gaku counted out. "Eight seems enough to me. The rest of you need to occupy the rooms and keep things looking normal. Make a point of being seen, you're our alibi if this all goes south."
Gaku pulled over a long wooden box and opened the latch. Inside, laying on soft, silky padding was a single, shiny metal gauntlet with a multitude of connecting plates for ultimate flexibility. It was beautifully made and maintained, intricate like a fine timepiece. The fingertips were longer than usual, topped with something that at first glance appeared to be claws, but on closer inspection revealed to be five different sized quill tips.
Most people did not question why Gaku wore black leather gloves almost all the time. Rubi knew otherwise. He pulled off his left glove and exposed his dark blotchy fingertips and nails, stained black with an ink-like substance. He slid on the glove and flexed his hand, ink drops beading at the calligraphy tips.
"Any questions?" he asked.
Rubi smiled. Time for Gaku to get serious.